carefulness to avoid bad company; civility without flattery; and a peaceable demeanor; may be inculcated in every seminary for youth, without violating the sanctuary of private religious opinion in any mind.

When obedience to the Divine precepts keeps pace with knowledge, in the mind of any man, thaț man is a Christian; and when the fruits of Christianity are produced, that man is evidently a disciple of our Blessed Lord, let his profession of religion be what it may. The propagation of this knowledge, and the production of those fruits, increase the number of true Christians, which is far better than the increase of party to any extent; and, at the same time, proves beneficial to society, in the improved principles and conduct of its members; and in private life, by the steadiness and amiable disposition of parents, masters, and children, who are influenced by its mild and benignant precepts

Impressed with these sentiments, I feel a fervent wish, as every friend to mankind must, that names may perish, but truth prosper.

That the professors of Christianity would culti vate a spirit of unity, brotherly love, and peace; bearing one with another, in love; avoiding all differences from party spirit; and when they cannot

unite in religious opinions, their dissent would be with Christian meekness, and respect to the opinions of others.

What a beautiful effect this would produce among those who are so unhappy as to live without religion; and how would mankind gradually be allured into that spirit of "charity, which suffereth long, and is kind; which envieth not, is not puffed up, and vaunteth not itself; doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own; is not casily provoked; thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things,-Charity which never faileth.

This spirit of charity is a spirit of love; but the sect-making spirit of party is cruel, full of rancour and bitterness. The object of our Holy Religion is to exalt the Kingdom of Heaven; to bring into subjection every evil act of the will in man, to the will of God. In the spirit of sect and party, it is the object, though often blended with something better, to exalt a peculiar creed, to establish a name, to gain a degree of worldly honor, to set up the will and wisdom of man, and make an idol of it, and compel all to bow down and worship it. This is the harbinger of discord, the source of evil, and has often led the martyr to the stake, or unsheathed the cruel sword.-Oh! that all, who really love and fear

God,

God, in every profession, would remember, that God, and not man, is the object of our worship and consider how to please him and do his will, who is a God of love and of peace. Then the solicitude would not be to make men nominal Catholics, or Protestants, Churchmen or Dissenters, but to exalt, by precept and example, the beauty and excellency of our Holy Religion. The desire would not be the increase of proselytes to this name. or the other, but to the only name given under Heaven, whereby mankind can be saved—the name of Jesus; to which all must bow, in mercy or in judgment. The floods of wickedness which inundate the world, have their spring in the malevolent dispositions of mankind. Christianity was intended, by its Divine Author, to counteract and subdue these; to humble the most ferocious dispositions into meekness, causing the lion to lie down with the lamb; and if any man, or body of men, want to do good, this is the most noble principle on which they can act. The professors of the Christian name are, alas! lamentably out of the Christian spirit,. the cause which they are pledged in duty to support suffers by their divisions, like a besieged city whose enemies are at its gates, or within its walls, and the citizens at daggers-drawing one with another; whereas, if they would all unite, and follow their Captain, they would turn the battle to the gate, and drive the enemies from their walls. I long to see men, who profess Christianity, contend not for

creed

creeds of faith, words, and names, but in the practice of every heavenly virtue. "Let your light so shine before men, as to glorify your father which is in Heaven," is an injunction that commands our endeavours to obey it. How happy will that day be, when men strive to show their faith by their works -that faith which works by love, and which coveteth no man's gold, silver, or apparel; but that all may follow that Holiness, without which none can please God.

It is proper the reader should know why I take up so much of his time on this subject. I consider a sectarian spirit as the source of dissension and persecution. I write thus, not only to expose its evil tendency, and caution others, but as a declaration of my own sentiments, which become of a little importance to the reader, as connected with my peculiar plan of education, and the institution in which it hath pleased Providence to place me. Yet I believe a man may espouse and defend religious opinions peculiar to himself and his friends, in that charity which is not puffed up, which thinketh no evil, and which vaunteth not itself; but that same charity will teach him to avoid controversy, strife, and all that leads to bitterness. It is on this principle I have hitherto acted, and wish to continue to act. I desire to avoid making the education, given to such a large number of children in my institution, a means of instilling my own peculiar religious

tenets

tenets into their minds, and prefer the more noble
grounds which I have recommended. I am a member
of the society of Friends, called Quakers*. I wish to
avoid bringing my peculiar religious opinions into
public controversy, and do not intend to do so,
unless compelled; though I hope I may say, without
ostentation, that I shall not be ashamed or afraid to
vindicate them. Yet I sincerely hope, the modera-
tion of my Christian brethren in other societies
will spare me this trial. I am not vain enough to
set up as arbiter of the religious opinions of others,
but wish all men would agree, as much as it is in
their power, to do good; and, when doing so, cast
all their sectarian opinions out of sight. For
whenever the Divine legacy of peace shall prevail
on earth, it will be preceded by mutual condescen-
sion, love and unity, among men; without which,
proper care cannot be taken of their youth in ge-
neral. As an additional inducement to make the
preceding observations, I have at times been in-
volved, much against my will, in more private con-
troversy and argument on religious topics than was
at all agreeable to my feelings.

* A name originally given to the society in contempt and re-
proach.

CONTENTS.